Earthquake activity in May:
Although the main reports here refer to Greece, following the devastating Haiti earthquake in January, February brought a second devastation, this time to Chile (Read wikipedia Summary). March brought a third 'quake, this time with a magnitude of 6.0 Richter to the Basyurt area of eastern Turkey, killing 42 villagers and injuring  at least 60 on March 8th - USGS report.

The last earthquake of note in Greece in April. No Change.


21 Apr: 4.3 Richter Scale, 06.19am. Zakinthos. Undersea epicentre 35km from the
            island.    
                                                                                         (item 5) Link to Story.

                                                                                  
Earthquakes are a common feature of life in Greece and it is unusual for deaths, injuries and or damage to buildings to occur.

The author of a ten year study at the National Technical University of Athens says that Greece is sitting waiting for the next major earthquake without doing anything to mitigate it's effects. (Our italics).                                                   Link to Report.

There are certain existing buildings considered to be at risk from major earthquakes.  Link to story. These buildings, which include a number of schools, are being investigated with the objective of safety. Link to story. Engineers have also called upon the government to institute checks on old bridges in Greece. Link (Item6.)
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A Little Extra News....
If April brought the first early visitor Ioanna Knoop from the 'Shorn Sheep' weaving emporium on Lesvos, May brought what was for us a very special visitor...

And a considerable amount of catching up and reminiscing. An anxiously awaited first visit from a niece whom we had not seen for over thirty years! A very long time. And all the way from my home town of Macclesfield in the UK. We had not visited there for many years either. When we last saw our niece she was a young school-girl. She was a considerable help to my then aging mother - her grandmother, something that one never forgets. Now she was a grandmother in her own right. Over thirty years down the road. Would we even be able to recognize her as she came out of 'Arrivals' at Chania's 'Ioannis Daskalogiannis' International Airport? Would she like us? Would we burn out the reminiscences on the first day? And then wonder what to talk about? Would it matter after so long?...

For us - yes it would, very much. Our niece, Sandi, is the oldest daughter of my elder brother, from whom I had become estranged all those years ago. He died shortly after Christmas last year, an event which led to a renewal of communication between Sandi and ourselves. A chance to renew the long lost contact with my own side of the family.

As usual for us life flows at two extremes - great happiness and great sadness -  almost at the same time. Sandi's arrival and stay fell into the first group - and almost simultaneously into the second. I remember once reading, on another Cretan website board, the comments of an internet visitor here to Cretanvista. Our stories, he said, had provided him with many laughs, but some had also caused him to shed a sad tear or two. I know now how he felt.... The arrival brought also family heirlooms and mementos that I had long given up hope of ever seeing again. Photographs which were part of my own youth - including large original portraits of both my father and his father - I remember both vividly - of my mother and her parents; of my treasured sister Anne who died many years ago; and so many more.

More poignant were items which had belonged to my mother - a handkerchief; a pair of leather gloves; two powder compacts with their mirrors into which she had gazed so often; a pair of her spectacles... My feelings were in absolute turmoil, but like all good Englishmen the stiff upper-lip took precedence... Took precedence that is until the family bible made it's appearance. It was so unexpected. My stiff-upper lip crumbled and I had to turn away in an attempt to hide the tears - so much that I had presumed lost had been passed to me. The bible contained not only it's own words, but between it's pages were more photographs and memorabilia - including my mother's NHS ID Card! And there was more. More in the form of my mother's engagement and wedding rings. Maybe not priceless in the monetary terms of today but to me - well, need you ask? Absolute treasures... The irreplaceable miraculously replaced.

The final item came from another niece. It was a copy of the funeral service and photograph of a nephew, (the elder son of my sister Anne), who had died unexpectedly but a couple of months previously. He had spent several years living with my family. He was more a younger brother than a nephew. There were, his bereaved wife told us in an email, more than 200 people at his funeral... My sadness plumbed the depths...

Life on Crete has always been a great pleasure to us. No two days are ever the same. There is, more often than not, great pleasure in being here. But of course sometimes there is great sadness - that hollow sense of personal loss sometimes caused by bereavement. You can't catch a 'plane to put that right.

But perhaps you can! The visit by our niece became a highlight of her week with us. We took pleasure in dining out - on one occasion with a small group of English, German and Greek friends. And in touring Nomos Chanion - a monastery; a church; beaches at Afrata, Ravdoucha, Elafonnissos, Falasarna; Chania itself; and generally trying to squeeze the impossible into one week! When Sandi first caught that flight to Chania she was bringing very sad memories, but as it turned out she was also bringing very happy ones too. Things long given up as lost miraculously returned. Utter magic!

Oh, and by the way, for someone who is afraid of flying, she did a marvelous job of bringing back at least part of my lost family! A real treasure...

Kalos Ithate Stin Kriti.
WB. Cretanvista. Bringing the sunshine, keeping the rain off!
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Messages.
We receive some brilliant messages - really - and they are very welcome.  We will ALWAYS reply so please, if you have sent a message and not received an answer - resend the message - we either didn't get it or have somehow overlooked it.  Our response time is usually within 48 hours.

Personal Information..
We have been asked in the past to help locate people. We would love to be able to assist but regret that are unable to do this.  

Questions and Answers..
Quite a lot of questions are received here at  Cretanvista and, as with e-mails and other forms of communication, we do our best to supply valid answers.  We never respond "Off the Top of our Heads" but always research the answer - even if we already have one (things change) before passing the information on.  

We provide links to appropriate alternative sources where we have them.  The answers are given with the proviso that recipients are responsible for any action taken by them.
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Site Content:-

Photo Galleries...
Calendar Photo Galleries:
A new one every year for the past decade! The 2010 Calendar gallery is complete and online now.. The 2009 calendar topic was 'Wild Flowers of Crete' (after our wild flower galleries) and the result was superb!  Which is why we followed up the theme in 2010.  Because of our success we have already produced our 2011 wild flower calendar format (and our other themes continue). But we can reprint any issue with next year's dates - whatever year that happens to be! Have a look at the 2010 wild flowers calendar Link.

Wildlife Gallery - the first two pages - 48 unique photographs, including some rare specimens of the Cretan fauna. Some is quite beautiful, some a bit scary/creepy, but all now add to our wildlife page and the ornithology gallery pages.  Remember that it is always worth checking where you walk or sit before you do! Start here.

Chania Photo Gallery.
Our Chania photograph galleries commenced with a presentation from Klaus Dieter Thill, whose photographs of some old buildings in the area of the Venetian Harbour show a little of what we all sometimes miss. Have a look - it's worth it. Start here.

Miniature Chapels of Crete Gallery.
Klaus-Dieter Thill - author of  Minaturkapellen auf Krista, a printed photo album detailing some of those enigmatic roadside shrines of Crete, has now contributed the first page of his Chania on-line gallery.  

Cretan Art and crafts - Weaving pages...
Weaving is in full swing and natural dyes are being made up and the photographs taken to add to this section. We will be adding our pages on our new looms, equipment and new projects started as soon as we can. The weaving tends to take the time right now..

Our very first nature gallery...
Contributed by Anastasios Sakoulis, whose book on Cretan wildlife Moments of Cretan Nature is also on our site as a book review.  Anastasios contributed 18 pictures of birds for addition to a gallery some time ago now. We will attach these to our bird-watching pages as soon as possible.

GENERAL: There are now 20 galleries featuring aspects of Cretan life, including sunrise and sunset pictures; Souda Bay War Cemetery; the gallery of magnificent wild-life pictures by Anastasios Sakoulis; our own wildlife gallery; the wild flowers; Chania; Mhlia (Milia) traditional village; etc.. etc...  

Our improvements continue. We sincerely hope that you notice little - apart from increased enjoyment and ease of use. Keep visiting - your presence is what make all worthwhile.

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The Cretan Vista Calendar Photos - Birds
We are building a specialist calendar of birds - whilst we are building our own library of Bird photographs - contributions are always welcome. They will always be acknowledged and copyright will remain your own and a free calendar is yours....
(Please contact us before sending pictures).
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Bird Watchers' Please Note:

The webmaster is at: Contact Form.